NEWH - June 2009 - (Page 34)

Sustainable Student Oriel Poole takes home the NEWH Sustainable Hospitality Scholarship “ Since that day, I no longer follow a path that is determined by others, but I let my heart determine the path I choose ” to endure. THE WATERFRONT OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, doesn’t seem like the most likely place for a sustainable restaurant and nightclub. But that’s exactly where design student Oriel Poole imagined her dream project, MA, which took home the top honor in the third annual NEWH Sustainable Hospitality Scholarship competition. “[Winning is] amazing!” says Poole, who graduates from Drexel University in Philadelphia this month (she actually finished early in December, but will walk with her class at the commencement). “The recognition has refreshed my optimism for employment during this challenging time.” Ma is Japanese for “interval” or “rest,” used in music to describe a moment of rest, and in Taiko music, it is the pause between two beats on the drum. “The Japanese believe it is essential to value this rest when playing Taiko, just as one would appreciate an actual beat of the drum,” she says, noting that she has always been fascinated by Japan and the country’s culture. “MA is a joining of two worlds, where the use of sustainable materials and futuristic design concepts unite. A large emphasis of the design is expressed through form, light, and sustainable materials to create a space that is fluid, emotive, and meaningful.” Following a Dream Oriel Poole knew she wanted to be a designer since high school. “I wanted a career that would enable me to combine all my loves: design, music/entertainment, and enterprise,” she says. But her path getting there wasn’t direct. After studying business at Arizona State University and Drexel University (one year at each), she switched directions and entered Drexel’s interior design program. “Since that day, I no longer follow a path that is determined by others, but I let my heart determine the path I choose to endure,” she says, adding that she loves that hospitality gives designers the ability to control the way humans interact in a space. Multiple internships—one at Daroff Design in Philadelphia and one at TL Architects & Associates in Taipei— have helped her delve deeper into the hospitality industry. At Daroff, she worked on a site survey of the renovation of the Loews in Philadelphia, and an upscale bar and lounge for the Sheraton in New York City. And at TL Architects, besides working on a retail store and residential project, she learned a life lesson for any industry: “I experienced a great sense of empathy toward the struggle of learning another culture’s language,” she says. Real World Poole was selected by a panel of three industry figures: Therese Virserius, Therese Virserius Design; Cliff Tuttle, ForrestPerkins; and chef Angelo Sosa. As the winner, she will receive a $5,000 scholarship from JLF/lone meadow, and the interior design program at Drexel University will receive a matching endowment from Designtex. She was honored May 13th during Hospitality Design magazine’s Green Day, an entire day of education devoted to sustainable design, held in conjunction with the 2009 Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference (HD Expo). So what was Poole looking forward to most at HD Expo? “Networking, of course!” she says. “I think many students today underestimate the power of networking. As a new grad, eager to find a career in hospitality design, going to HD Expo is the greatest reward I could have asked for.” To see Poole’s winning entry, as well as entries by the two runners-up and three finalists, log on to www.newh.org and click 2009 Sustainable Design Competition under the scholarship tab. I 34 june 2009 www.newh.org tel 800.593.NEWH Photo by Robert Harrington, focus inc. sustainability green award http://www.newh.org http://www.newh.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - June 2009

NEWH - June 2009
Contents
News
Have you Seen?
Product Know-How: Lighting
Design 101
On the Scene
Sustainability: POV
Sustainability: Green Award
Sustainability: Competition
Cover Story: Magic Carpet Ride
Project: TD Banknorth Garden
Project: Ajax and Sneaky’s
New Members
Save the Date
Partner Profiles

NEWH - June 2009